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pH
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p[H]
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pH Indicators
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Non-aqueous solutions
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Unified absolute pH scale
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Extremes of pH measurements
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pH in soil
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pH in plants
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pH in the ocean
Three pH scales in oceanography
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pH of various body fluids
pH calculations
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Strong acids and bases
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Weak acids and bases
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General method
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see PH (disambiguation).
"Negative pH" redirects here. For the band, see Negative pH (band).
Test tubes containing solutions of pH 1–10 colored
with an indicator
Acceptor number
Acid
Acid–base reaction
Acid–base homeostasis
Acid strength
Acidity function
Amphoterism
Base
Buffer solutions
Dissociation constant
Donor number
Equilibrium chemistry
Extraction
Hammett acidity function
pH
Proton affinity
Self-ionization of water
Titration
Lewis acid catalysis
Frustrated Lewis pair
Chiral Lewis acid
Acid types
Brønsted–Lowry
Lewis
Mineral
Organic
Oxide
Strong
Superacids
Weak
Solid
Base types
Brønsted–Lowry
Lewis
Organic
Oxide
Strong
Superbases
Non-nucleophilic
Weak
v
t
e
Pure water at
7 Neutral
25 °C
Bleach 12.5
1 M NaOH 14
Main article: pH indicator
pH can be measured using indicators, which change color
depending on the pH of the solution they are in. By
comparing the color of a test solution to a standard color
chart, the pH can be estimated to the nearest whole
number. For more precise measurements, the color can be
measured using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer.
A Universal indicator is a mixture of several indicators that
can provide a continuous color change over a range of pH
values, typically from about pH 2 to pH 10. Universal
indicator paper is made from absorbent paper that has
been impregnated with universal indicator. An alternative
method of measuring pH is using an electronic pH meter,
which directly measures the voltage difference between a
pH-sensitive electrode and a reference electrode.
Non-aqueous solutions[edit]
pH values can be measured in non-aqueous solutions, but
they are based on a different scale from aqueous pH
values, because the standard states used for calculating
hydrogen ion concentrations (activities) are different. The
hydrogen ion activity, aH , is defined[21][22] as:
+
2O ⇌ HCO
−
3+ H
+
pH in soil[edit]
See also: Soil pH
Nutritional elements
availability within soil varies with pH. Light blue
color represents the ideal range for most plants.
The United States Department of
Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation
Service, formerly Soil Conservation Service
classifies soil pH ranges as follows:[27]
Denomination pH range
Neutral 6.6–7.3
Very strongly
9.0–10.5
alkaline
4, K
*
S:
pH of various body
fluids[edit]
Compartment pH
Lysosomes 4.5[33]
Human skin 4.7[35]
Granules of chromaffin
5.5
cells
Urine 6.0
Cytosol 7.2
Acid
HA: HA
⇌ H+ +
A−
Base
A: HA+ ⇌
H+ + A
First, an acid
dissociation
constant is defined
as follows.
Electrical charges
are omitted from
subsequent
equations for the
sake of generality
and its value is
assumed to
have been
determined by
experiment.
This being so,
there are three
unknown
concentrations,
[HA], [H+] and
[A−] to
determine by
calculation.
Two additional
equations are
needed. One
way to provide
them is to
apply the law
of mass
conservation in
terms of the
two "reagents"
H and A.
C
stands
for anal
ytical
concent
ration.
In some
texts,
one
mass
balance
equatio
n is
replace
d by an
equatio
n of
charge
balance.
This is
satisfact
ory for
simple
cases
like this
one, but
is more
difficult
to apply
to more
complic
ated
cases
as those
below.
Togethe
r with
the
equatio
n
defining
Ka, there
are now
three
equatio
ns in
three
unknow
ns.
When
an acid
is
dissolve
d in
water
CA =
CH = Ca,
the
concent
ration of
the acid,
so [A] =
[H].
After
some
further
algebrai
c
manipul
ation an
equatio
n in the
hydroge
n ion
concent
ration
may be
obtaine
d.
Solu
tion
of
this
qua
drati
c
equ
ation
give
s the
hydr
oge
n ion
conc
entr
ation
and
henc
e
p[H]
or,
mor
e
loos
ely,
pH.
This
proc
edur
e is
illust
rate
d in
an I
CE
table
whic
h
can
also
be
used
to
calc
ulate
the
pH
whe
n
som
e
addit
ional
(stro
ng)
acid
or
alkal
ine
has
bee
n
add
ed
to
the
syst
em,
that
is,
whe
n
CA ≠
CH.
For
exa
mple
,
what
is
the
pH
of a
0.01
M
solut
ion
of b
enzo
ic
acid,
pKa
=
4.19
?
St
e
p
1:
St
e
p
2:
S
et
u
p
th
e
q
u
a
dr
ati
c
e
q
u
ati
o
n.
St
e
p
3:
S
ol
ve
th
e
q
u
a
dr
ati
c
e
q
u
ati
o
n.
For
alkal
ine
solut
ions,
an
addit
ional
term
is
add
ed
to
the
mas
s-
bala
nce
equ
ation
for
hydr
oge
n.
Sinc
e
the
addit
ion
of
hydr
oxid
e
redu
ces
the
hydr
oge
n ion
conc
entr
ation
,
and
the
hydr
oxid
e ion
conc
entr
ation
is
cons
train
ed
by
the
self-
ioniz
ation
equil
ibriu
m to
be
equ
al
to ,
the
resul
ting
equ
ation
is:
G
e
n
e
r
a
l
m
e
t
h
o
d
[
e
d
it
]
S
o
m
e
s
y
s
t
e
m
s
,
s
u
c
h
a
s
w
it
h
p
o
l
y
p
r
o
ti
c
a
c
i
d
s
,
a
r
e
a
m
e
n
a
b
l
e
t
o
s
p
r
e
a
d
s
h
e
e
t
c
a
l
c
u
l
a
ti
o
n
s
.
[37
W
it
h
t
h
r
e
e
o
r
m
o
r
e
r
e
a
g
e
n
t
s
o
r
w
h
e
n
m
a
n
y
c
o
m
p
l
e
x
e
s
a
r
e
f
o
r
m
e
d
w
it
h
g
e
n
e
r
a
l
f
o
r
m
u
l
a
e
s
u
c
h
a
s
A
p
B
q
H
r,
t
h
e
f
o
ll
o
w
i
n
g
g
e
n
e
r
a
l
m
e
t
h
o
d
c
a
n
b
e
u
s
e
d
t
o
c
a
l
c
u
l
a
t
e
t
h
e
p
H
o
f
a
s
o
l
u
ti
o
n
.
F
o
r
e
x
a
m
p
l
e
,
w
it
h
t
h
r
e
e
r
e
a
g
e
n
t
s
,
e
a
c
h
e
q
u
il
i
b
ri
u
m
i
s
c
h
a
r
a
c
t
e
ri
z
e
d
b
y
a
n
e
q
u
il
i
b
ri
u
m
c
o
n
s
t
a
n
t,
β
.
N
ex
t,
wr
ite
do
w
n
th
e
m
as
s-
ba
la
nc
e
eq
ua
tio
ns
for
ea
ch
re
ag
en
t:
Note
that
there
are
no
appro
ximati
ons
involv
ed in
these
equati
ons,
excep
t that
each
stabili
ty
const
ant is
define
d as a
quotie
nt of
conce
ntratio
ns,
not
activiti
es.
Much
more
compl
icated
expre
ssion
s are
requir
ed if
activiti
es are
to be
used.
There
are
three
simult
aneou
s
equati
ons in
the
three
unkno
wns,
[A],
[B]
and
[H].
Beca
use
the
equati
ons
are
non-
linear
and
their
conce
ntratio
ns
may
range
over
many
power
s of
10,
the
soluti
on of
these
equati
ons is
not
straig
htforw
ard.
Howe
ver,
many
comp
uter
progr
ams
are
availa
ble
which
can
be
used
to
perfor
m
these
calcul
ations
.
There
may
be
more
than
three
reage
nts.
The
calcul
ation
of
hydro
gen
ion
conce
ntratio
ns,
using
this
appro
ach,
is a
key
eleme
nt in
the de
termin
ation
of
equili
brium
const
ants b
y pote
ntiom
etric
titratio
n.
See
also
[edit]
pH
indicator
Arterial
blood gas
Chemical
equilibriu
m
pCO2
p Ka
Ref
ere
nce
s[edit
]
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Ext
ern
al
link
s[edit
]
Wikimedia
Commons
has media
related
to pH.
Scholia ha
s a profile
for pH (Q40
936).
Wikidata h
as the
property:
pH value
(P9440) (s
ee uses)
hide
v
e
Wastewater
Bathroom
Blackwater (coal)
Blackwater (waste)
Boiler blowdown
Brine
Combined sewer
Cooling tower
Cooling water
Fecal sludge
Greywater
Infiltration/Inflow
Industrial wastewater
Ion exchange
Leachate
Manure
Papermaking
Produced water
Return flow
Reverse osmosis
Sanitary sewer
Septage
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Sanitary sewer
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Category: Sewerage
France
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ty control databases: National
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